<p>What do you all think of Chicken fajitas, rice and a fruit salad?</p>
<p>Sounds yummy! Would you be cooking there? If not, maybe fajitas might not be the best choice because the chicken doesn’t hold that well. Perhaps instead a more stewy chicken, like a chicken in a tomato/wine sauce?</p>
<p>Just because this woman is having a rough time, and needs to have her appetite tempted, I’d also suggest a small, dense, delicious chocolate dessert. Maybe thin slices of a chocolate torte, or truffles, or something of that nature.</p>
<p>NM, is your friend on a high-alkaline, organic diet? Some folks with that type of cancer might be, in keeping with the latest alternative therapies. You might want to check. If so, the above can be done with free range, whole wheat etc.</p>
<p>Speaking as a former colo-rectal surgical nurse, I think the poached chicken is great with rice and soft veggies - carrots, zucchini. Doll it up with some mild spices. Taste is the thing- often taste sensations are knocked out by chemo. I would avoid those cruciferous veggies for a while especially if surgery was recent.</p>
<p>CF makes an excellent suggestion with calories, calories, calories!</p>
<p>Good luck on your trip, Zim!</p>
<p>Thanks for your post, Zim.</p>
<p>Watermelon. No matter how I feel, I always like watermelon. In the early months of each pregnancy I lived on pineapple sherbet and watermelon</p>
<p>I will second the knocked out taste buds via a friend of mine. Her issue was also however that the treatments gave her sores inside her mouth and so anything acidic would really hurt to eat. Other than that, I think it really is the thought that counts most. </p>
<p>I just saw a video about that UVA case and they showed the parents of the boy who killed this poor girl. Can I just say that my heart broke for them. They looked completely shell shocked. While the guy might have gotten in trouble for public intoxication, I cannot see where anything in his past would have been a red-flag warning for something like this kind of anger. I cannot imagine the pain and heartbreak at the loss here on either side. The victim’s dad had died when she was in high school and her mom will undoubtedly receive an outpouring of support whereas the other set of parents will be vilified for what they did or didn’t do as parents. I feel badly for them. The whole thing is completely tragic.</p>
<p>If I was those parents, I’d be in denial big time. How do you get the “mom, I’ve been arrested for murder” phone call? Sounds like they’ve hired a good lawyer (for which they’re already being vilified.)</p>
<p>Mot people on chemo will say only certain things agree. If the person is having a hard time, simple meals, like chicken/rice or mashed potatoes and carrots, green beans, squash. mostly easy ont stomach and bowel foods. Woody is right could add some spice as the taste buds get dulled. or they can add their own. honestly nothing anybody sent could I eat, but my husband gained alot of weight this winter, he was eating for two!</p>
<p>“honestly nothing anybody sent could I eat”
Oh DTE - I hope that has changed since!
In my area, whenever there is a serious illness, some well-meaning soul organizes meals to be delivered on a nightly basis. I have already told my close friend and my sister that if serious illness should befall me, I don’t want any meals delivered. I’ve just seen what a pain it is to deal with when people don’t have the appetite for it. My sister said with my attititude, I shouldn’t worry about people doing nice things for me! HA!</p>
<p>Well… I would bring my friend treats and she did a nice job of telling me when her appetite was good and I’d pile it on. But mostly when we made meals and things we were doing it for her husband and kids - stepping in just to fill her shoes a little, especially on the weeks of treatment.</p>
<p>Missy - my feeling exactly! How does that phone call even happen? And for better or worse, I have told all of my children to always always have legal representation. This does not mean that I don’t want them held accountable or that I want them to get away with stuff, but even if they didn’t hire an attorney, he’d be appointed one. I can’t imagine any parent not hiring their kid an attorney if they can afford it.</p>
<p>Woody - You are a hoot!</p>
<p>I would also pay attention to the presentation of the food. Bright, attractive food, in small portions, that looks easy to eat, doesn’t hurt your friend’s mouth, is easy to digest. </p>
<p>Maybe this is wrong, but I wouldn’t worry about low-cal, high-fiber, healthy foods. Instead I’d try to make something delicious. Maybe a lightly curried pumpkin soup served with a dollop of sour cream, chicken cut in bite-sized pieces and stirfried with, say, scallions and green beans, served with rice, the fruit salad, and chocolate truffles.</p>
<p>CF - could you come make that for me? I am in all likelihood very healthy, but man that sounds good and even better if I am not cooking it!</p>
<p>when I was on chemotherapy, I had no appetite at all. I was hungry but everything made me nauseous. Food could not be enjoyed. (shoot, when I was pregnant I was just as nauseous for SEVEN months - I LOST weight when I was pregnant until the last 2 months, then Oh My! Did I ever eat! Gained about 25 lbs in that last 2 months) </p>
<p>I agree that most gift meals end up being for the family, not the patient. As always it is the thought that counts. For the patient, a good book, a fun movie, someone to come in and clean LOL, stuff like that is most appreciated. But some forms of chemo do not make one as sick as other forms do, so in some cases, good meals might very well be able to be enjoyed by the patient as well.</p>
<p>DTE, I hope things are getting as back to normal as they can for you.</p>
<p>If S gets less than a C in this CS course, I think you are right DL. He will still be in good academic standing. However, if he also does not get a C or better in Physics (final today and why I have my fingers crossed) he will be on warning again - possibly probation - I need to go look it all up again. He will also not be on track to graduate in 4 years without overloading, and overload is not recommended for this kid. So he’ll need to attend an extra year. He MAY be able to pick up some credits at the CC in the summer or attend summer school there to save an entire fifth year tuition. We will have to look into that. I REALLY wish he would reconsider some of the accommodations available to him (specifically a lighter load and an extra year at no extra cost! - well except for board). Maybe he will after this past year.
I think I remember some language he was ddealing with as being LISP. Is that the same as Java? He already knows C++. That would have been easy for him. I know ZERO about this stuff, or why he would not do well on the final, or even how that final might have been structured.
All I know is we will all be waiting with baited breath to see what will happen with the grade and how it will affect his future.</p>
<p>Ok…ended up making a chicken/potato/rice soup(has heavy whipping cream and Vermont cheddar cheese in it so lots of calories!),fruit salad, fresh wheat bread and double chocolate cookies. There is a cold front blowing in so I thought the soup would be good. I thought she looked great when I dropped it off but she didn’t think so. Goes for
6th out of 12 chemo treatments next week.Her major complaint is numbness in extremities and being cold all of the time. There is a meal schedule, dog walking schedule and fund to donate $$ to have the house cleaned. I pray that she wins this fight!</p>
<p>LISP is not like JAVA. Comp sci major here although long ago. LISP is all about recursion and how you get out of the recursion. I’m impressed that a freshman would take this. This was part of a 3rd year class when I went to school. Took it in a 10 week class where you learned this along with 4 other languages. Labs and exams on them all. No second chances. Either worked or you got a terrible grade. It was considered one of the last weed out classes. JAVA is more in my mind like C++. Now they may teach LISP differently these days. I have NEVER used it in the “real world” but I understand why it’s taught - great language for some basic fundamentals.</p>
<p>mmm. You are kind, NorthMinnesota. I don’t suppose you could drop by here next. 
I’m perfectly healthy, and northern California is a bit far for you, but your meal sounds yummy.</p>
<h1>tm, LISP is not at all the same as Java. But if your son really doesn’t understand whatever programming language it is he should be learning in his class, then he should reconsider whether a CS degree is right for him. First and foremost, CS majors have to be able to program. And a CS major should be able to pick up a new programming language easily, though I admit that C++ and LISP are fairly different.</h1>
<p>The CS majors at MIT start with Scheme, a programming language similar to LISP.</p>
<p>I’m astounded at everyone’s command of programming lingo. Have you read Tracy Kidder’s Soul of the New Machine? It chronicles the experiences of an engineering team racing to design a next generation computer under a blistering schedule and tremendous pressure. It won a Pulitzer Prize and an American Book Award. I love Tracy Kidder but I admit that my eyes glazed over at the programming parts.</p>
<p>I’m glad you mentioned that, missypie, cause I was starting to feel like a complete idiot. </p>
<p>rochmom, cf, #tm - I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! LISP, Java, C++! You really know this stuff? I am totally impressed! Carry on…</p>